CAMERON (4-5) at No.4 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (10-1)
Saturday, December 16, 2017 - 3 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: CU leads 8-1

 
BEFORE WE BREAK
No.4 Lubbock Christian University closes out an eight-day break Saturday hosting Cameron University at 1 p.m. inside Rip Griffin Center.  The contest marks LCU's final game before the Christmas Break, as LCU will follow Saturday's game with a 13-day break before heading to Portales, N.M. on New Year's Eve to face Eastern New Mexico. LCU rides a four-game win streak into their meeting with Cameron, which also ends a four-game homestand.   
 
LOOKING BACK TO THEIR LAST GAME
The story was nearly a carbon copy… The only difference was the teams. In the previous meeting between Lubbock Christian University and Southwestern Oklahoma State University, which was on Dec. 10, 2016 in Weatherford, Okla., SWOSU hit 15 three-pointers (the most ever allowed by LCU) and defeated LCU 90-63. Thursday night inside Rip Griffin Center, LCU returned the favor, hitting 15 three-pointers and receiving 25 points, six three-pointers and seven blocks from Tess Bruffey to lead No.5/6 LCU to a 95-65 win over No.14/19 SWOSU.
 
There were several minor story lines that played out, which drew similarities to their 2016 meeting. In the opening quarter of the 2016 clash, SWOSU's Hailey Tucker hit five three-pointers (on six attempts) and registered 17 points in the quarter to give SWOSU a 26-9 lead at the end of the quarter.  In Thursday's edition, it was Bruffey taking the first quarter spotlight with 15 points in the quarter and hitting her career high mark in three-pointers with four in the quarter. LCU was able to generate an 8-0 run in the quarter, while SWOSU opened the game 1-of-10 and 3-of-18 from the field, to provide the Lady Chaparrals a 27-13 lead at the end of the quarter. LCU made six three-pointers during a 7-of-12 shooting stretch in the quarter.
 
The Lady Bulldogs tried to wither the storm of the LCU offense and attempted to respond with a nice scoring stretch that included a 7-of-8 shooting stretch (the stretch was part of a 9-of-12 and eventual 15-of-22 shooting mark from the field). The Bulldogs could do no better than a 12-5 run behind the hot shooting.  It was able to cut the LCU lead to 36-28 (3:47 remaining in the second quarter), but LCU answered late in the first half with a 7-0 run spearheaded by a Bruffey three-pointer. Tucker was able to bounce back from opening the game missing her first four attempts with seven points in the second quarter for SWOSU, who shot 72.7% (8/11) in the quarter. LCU led 43-32 at the half behind an 18-point half from Bruffey, who was 6-of-7 from the field (5-of-6 from three-point range) in the half.
 
SWOSU had an early stretch of 6-of-8 shooting in the second half, and Tyra Aska hit one of three field goals in the quarter with 5:31 remaining in the quarter to cut LCU's lead to 58-45.  The Lady Bulldogs, who cut the margin to 10 points on two prior occasions in the half, ran out of gas trying to trade blows with LCU.  As SWOSU was hitting their offensive stride, LCU was a touch better with an 8-of-9 shooting stretch in the third quarter. LCU was 11-of-19 (57.9%) from the field in the quarter, with a 12-0 run following Aska's bucket with 5:31 left in the quarter resulting in a 70-45 lead. Bobby Chitsey led LCU in the quarter with seven points and LCU took a 72-51 lead into the final quarter.
 
LCU was 57.9% (11/19) from the field in the third quarter and followed going 54.5% (6-of-11) from the field in the fourth quarter. SWOSU hit a bump going 0-of-8 from the field during a 4:09 span without a field goal. LCU was able to go on a 14-4 to put the game out of reach during SWOSU's dry spell.
 
The Lady Chaps were 50.8% (30/59) shooting in the game and went 15-of-30 (50%) from long range. Eight different Lady Chaps popped the "three," and their season high mark of 15 was the most since they posted their program record 18 on Feb. 18, 2017 against Oklahoma Panhandle State. The Lady Chaps matched a season high with 13 blocked shots. Six different Lady Chaps played into the count, including two by Maddi Chitsey and seven from Bruffey. Joining Bruffey, who matched a season high with 25 points, in double figures was Maddi Chitsey (17 points), Bobbi Chitsey (13 points) and Caitlyn Cunyus (10 points). LCU assisted on 23 of 30 field goals, with Delaney Gaddis producing a season high seven assists. The game marked the second time in their LCU careers in which both Chitsey sisters posted at least 10 points in a game and the first at home. Both instances have come against a nationally ranked opponent.
 
Tucker led SWOSU with 17 points, and they also received 13 points from Tyra Aska and 12 points from Penina Faumui. The Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the season and move to 8-1 on the season.
 
LCU is now 3-2 all-time against SWOSU, who was making their first ever visit to LCU. In the five all-time meetings, the average win margin is 25.8 points.
 
QUIN"TESS"ENTIAL
Backing LCU's 95-65 win over No. 14 Southwestern Oklahoma was the play of Tess Bruffey, which helped her earn Heartland Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors for games played from Dec. 4 - Dec. 10.
 
Bruffey helped LCU defeat previously unbeaten SWOSU with 25 points, seven blocks and five rebounds in a 9-of-12 shooting performance, which included a career-high 6-of-7 from three-point range. Her previous career high from beyond the arc was four, which she matched with a 4-of-5 three-point shooting stretch during the first quarter (she scored 15 points in the opening quarter). Bruffey is averaging 15 points per game this season. This is Bruffey's second player of the week award this season and the eighth of her career.
 
NATIONALLY KNOWN
New national rankings came out Tuesday afternoon, and the Lady Chaparrals moved up to No.4 in both the D2SIDA's Top-25 Poll and the WBCA's Top-25 Poll (Coaches Poll) for NCAA Division II women's basketball. They are the top team in the polls of teams that have suffered a loss. The No.4 ranking is the best ranking they have received this season.
 
PERIMETER PLAY
On the offensive side, LCU ranks 15th nationally with 86 three-pointers made on the season. Tess Bruffey leads the team with 21 three-pointers, with Caitlyn Cunyus right behind her with 20. Their three-point shooting percentage ranks fourth nationally at 41.3%. LCU has produced at least 10 three-pointers in five of their 11 games this season, which is a task they completed once in the opening 12 games of last season. On the defensive side, LCU leads the Heartland Conference holding opponents to a 27.2% shooting percentage from long range.
 
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 48.1% from the field.  They also rank third nationally in field goal defense, holding the opposition to 31.9% shooting on the season. Their allowance of 53.8 points per game ranks 12th in the nation.
 
BLOCKING IT OUT
Tess Bruffey, who ranked second nationally last season in blocks per game (3.9), leads the nation with 48 blocks on the season. Her 48 blocks come at a rate of 4.4 per game (leads nationally). The Lady Chaps, as a team, leads the nation with 79 blocks. Bruffey has five double-doubles on the season as well ranks tied for 17th nationally in the category. In her career, Bruffey has a program and conference record 320 blocks, marking her as the NCAA Div. II's active career leader (third among all levels). She also ranks on the NCAA Div. II's active career leader charts in points (1,394, 13th) and double-doubles (17, 19th).  
 
HELPING HAND
Despite not having one individual in the top-100 nationally in any assist categories, LCU leads the Heartland Conference in all categories and in the top-50 nationally in two of the three team categories. LCU ranks 23rd nationally in assists (178), 47th in assists per game (16.2) and 74th in assist/turnover ratio (.96). LCU's team leader in assists is Caitlyn Cunyus, whose 34 assists are three better than teammate Delaney Gaddis (31). Gaddis is coming off a seven-assist performance against Southwestern Oklahoma State. Both are in the top-10 in the conference in assists but neither break the top-150 nationally in individual assist categories.
 
WHAT IS ON THE LINE?
LCU became the 17th team in NCAA Division II Women's Basketball to win 40 consecutive home games with their win over SWOSU (it actively leads NCAA Div. II).  If LCU extends the streak to 42 (currently at 40), they will match Arkansas Tech for 16th place on the all-time list for consecutive home wins in NCAA Division II history.  The record is 87 consecutive home victories by Nebraska-Kearney, who completed the task from Jan. 31, 1995 - Nov. 24, 2001. LCU's last home loss came on Jan. 1, 2015 against Oklahoma City University.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CAMERON
• The Aggies are coming off a 11-16 record last season, which included a 3-8 road record.
•The Lone Star Conference (LSC) preseason picked Cameron to finish seventh in the conference. They went 9-11 in conference play last season and are off to a 2-2 conference start. They are 1-2 against common opponents (already played) and are 2-0 against Heartland Conference squads this season (swept Oklahoma Christian in a home-and-home series).
• The Aggies lead the LSC and rank 36th nationally in rebounds with a pace of 43.9 per game. They are 42nd in defensive rebounds, averaging 29 per contest. Individually, Lejha Smith, who has led CU in rebounding in every game this season, ranks eighth nationally in rebounds per game (11.6) and is sixth in defensive boards per game (8.0).
• Jamie Bonnarens leads the LSC with a mark of 17.2 points per game. Her season high was a 28-point effort against Southwestern Oklahoma State.
• Connecting long distance for CU is Ava Battese, who ranks tenth nationally with 87 three-point field goal attempts on the season. She has connected on 28 (24th nationally) at a rate of 3.1 per game (19th nationally).
 
THE SERIES AGAINST CAMERON
The head-to-head series between LCU and Cameron dates back to 1985 and Cameron holds an 8-1 all-time series advantage. The two programs have not met since a meeting in Lubbock on Dec. 5, 2000, which Cameron won 74-63. LCU is 1-3 all-time in Lubbock against Cameron, with their lone series win coming on Jan. 10, 1994 (Cameron has won two consecutive meetings).
 
PRIOR MEETING VS. CAMERON
Dec. 5, 2000 (Lubbock, Texas): CU 74 - LCU 63
Four days didn't change an outcome. The Lubbock Christian University women's basketball team received 20 points from guard Ginger Armacost but still lost to Cameron for the second time in less than a week, 74-63 at the Rip Griffin Center.
 
The Aggies had defeated the Lady Chaps 80-50 four days prior on the first day of the Cameron Classic, getting 19 points and 10 rebounds from Cameron's Kimberlie Woods. This time, Woods shot 0-of-5 from the field and managed only seven points, but plenty of teammates picked up the slack, as Roseline Ogilo led Cameron with 13 points. LCU was unable to win despite forcing Cameron into 22 turnovers, as they were out-scored 43-32 in the second half to break a 31-31 halftime score. Armacost was 8-of-15 from the field for LCU, who was held to 3-of-14 shooting from long range.